The present invention relates to a memory card connector, and particularly to a memory card connector for facilitating a smooth sliding movement of an ejection plate during insertion of a memory card into the memory card connector.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a conventional memory card connector mainly comprises a dielectric housing 90, a plurality of contacts 91 received in the housing 90, a shell 92 and an ejector 93. The ejector 93 comprises a push rod 930, an actuator 931 and an ejection plate 932 assembled together. The actuator 931 forms a circular projection 935 for pivotally engaging with a corresponding hole 921 of the shell 92, a resilient tab 936 at a free end thereof and a latching aperture 938 therein. A recess 922 is defined in the shell and defines an arcuate slot 9220 at a lateral side edge. When the push rod 930 is driven in an elongate direction along the memory card connector, the actuator 931 will pivot abut the projection 935, while the resilient tab 936 slides in the arcuate slot 9220. Simultaneously, the ejection plate 932 will push a mating memory card out of the memory card connector along the elongate direction by a driving force exerted by a securing bar 937 formed on the ejection plate 932 and engaged within the latching aperture 938 of the actuator 931. Thus, the mating memory card is ejected from the memory card connector by means of the pivotal movement of the actuator 931.
In order to prevent the actuator 931 from separating from the shell due to disengagement between the circular projection 935 and the hole 921 under an over-exertion force acting thereon, a top flange of the shell 92 is bent to form a securing section 923. The securing section 923 has a bottom edge 924 parallel to the shell 92 thereby defining a receiving space for receiving an edge of the actuator 931 and the ejection plate 932.
However, the securing section 923 requires a multi-bending process thereby complicating manufacture and occupying unnecessary space within the memory card connector. Moreover, the securing section 923 strictly limits a vertical dimension of the shell 92. If the vertical dimension is larger than required, a gap will exist between the actuator 931 and the ejection plate 932 thereby causing the actuator 931 to become easily disengaged from the shell 92. If the vertical dimension of the shell 92 is smaller than required, the actuator 931 will constrict the ejection plate 932 and the shell 92 resulting in increasing friction between the actuator 931, the ejection plate 932 and the shell 92 thereby hindering insertion or withdrawal of the mating memory card with the memory card connector. In a more serious case, if the vertical dimension of the shell 92 is so small that the receiving space defined in the securing section 923 is unable to receive the actuator 931 and the ejection plate 932 therein, the ejection plate 932 will abut against the bottom edge 924 of the securing section 923 when inserting the mating memory card into the memory card connector.